


Ribbon

by Jenner (bella)



Series: The Rift Series [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Cute, Humans of Particular Importance, M/M, Mpreg, Other, Puppy Love, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Teenagers, Wilderness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-01-13 17:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1235095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bella/pseuds/Jenner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part IV of <b>the Rift Series</b> (a Sequel to 'Rind')</p><p>Six years after Peace was established across an occupied Earth, a lonely wolfe exile in the midst of a snowstorm stumbled across a most exciting treasure named Gustin, who happened to be a Human of Particular Importance. After a year of snowstorms, awkward exes, embarrassing ceremonies, and delicious jam toasts, the two settled into a new home, healed old wounds, and got ready to raise their darling little cub in the safest, most boring way possible.</p><p>Fate had other plans.</p><p>Nineteen years later, Sodre and Lucky, two young half-wolves in the Irion, end up as companions on a rather incredible journey. Along the way, they encounter good guys, bad guys, in-between guys, danger, adventure, romance, promise, and maybe a cub or two.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trip & Fall

"Lucky, WAIT!"  
Eager feet pounded the snowy ground, racing across the pasture to try to catch him. Kel'luknar looked back over his shoulder and laughed, kicking more speed into his run, outpacing the Layer. Sodre narrowed his eyes. He was going to catch that wolfe, if it was the last thing he did.

It wasn't fair, after all - just because Lucky was bigger (only by 10 cm! ...and 30 kg), and supposedly "older" (even though really, they were both 19 and just because Sodre was a Layer didn't mean he had to be immature, it just meant that he _might_ be) and just a tiny bit braver than Sodre (ok, a lot braver), didn't mean he could just leave the Layer behind! They had started out on this mission together, after all, and Sodre would be damned if Lucky collected all the good winternuts and didn't leave him any. The grove wasn't far from here, and Sodre knew he was a fast runner. Faster than Lucky, for sure, faster than Alpha Kellan, faster than his mom, even! If only Lucky hadn't gotten a stupid headstart.

Sodre ducked his head against a gust of cold wind and darted forward. The ground pounded beneath his paws - push past, back, away, away, go, run, take off! Sodre threw himself into a leap over a tangled clump of wood. He landed safely and ran, ran, met some rocks, vaulted over those, ran and now Lucky's back was getting closer.

Sodre put all the power he had into his run; his thighs ached as he soared along. Lucky's back drew close; the wolfe glanced over his shoulder, gave a surprised little expression, then grinned that handsome wolfish grin and kept running.

He was going to catch Lucky. He was sure of that. He was so sure of it that he almost considered slowing his pace to tease him a little. No, better not, Sodre thought, remembering the story that Mate Gustin had told him.

Kel'luknar glanced back over his shoulder one more time. Damn, but the Layer could move. Even bundled up as he was, with layers of clothes on and a carrying bag slung over his shoulder, the Layer moved like wind. Kelluk watched him for a minute, distracted. The Layer ran as if he were something from the beyond -- he seemed to move without touching the earth. Beautiful. Kelluk blinked and the Layer was closer. Well! Damned if he'd catch him that easily. The wolfe turned his eyes back to the path just in time to miss it as Sodre caught his foot on a tree root, yelped, and went down.

Kel'luknar never saw what tripped him, never knew what happened - only knew that in less than a breath, he had spun on his heels and was running, running, tearing across the ice and snow back towards his friend. Sodre was still on the ground when he got there, lying prone and shaking. Lucky dropped to his knees on the ground beside him and crushed one hand to his back.  
"Sodre! Don't move! Are you hurt? Can you breathe?"  
Sodre whimpered pitifully and Lucky reached out to try to lift him, but the Layer caught his hand and stayed it.  
"No, no. I'm - " he drew in a shaky breath. "I'm fine." he began to struggle to his feet, but collapsed again and moaned. "Just give me a second." he managed, breathless.

Lucky's tail slapped the ground anxiously, leaving little feathery marks in the snow and kicking powder up onto his back. He paid it no mind. Not until Sodre could stand.  
"Sodre, please. Let me pick you up. I'll carry you back home."  
The Layer had gotten to all fours now, his hands bright red against the whiteness of snow.  
"No. I'm OK." he sounded more normal now, Lucky noticed. Sodre took a deep breath and got up on his knees, then stood. Kel'luknar stood with him, offering him an arm to steady himself.  
"What's hurt?"  
Sodre blinked and shook his head.  
"Nothing. Nothing. I just tripped. And I hit the ground weird." he paused, turning his focus inward. "And I feel weird."

Lucky had already conducted a sight and scent census of his friend, but now he quickly ran his hands over the smaller shifter's back, his arms, his neck, his sides --  
"Ahhh!" Sodre yelped and jumped backwards as Kelluk's hand brushed the side of his belly. Kel'luknar stared at him, and Sodre met his eyes worriedly. "No. _No_. No, I didn't."  
Lucky didn't answer; just tilted his head and slowly reached out again, this time grasping a handful of the Layer's under and outer shirts and lifting slowly upwards. Sodre whimpered. The wolfe nodded.  
"Yep. You did."  
Sodre squealed.  
"I dropped an egg?? Well, push it back up! Make it go back!"  
Kel'luknar cast a skeptical look back down at the Layer's exposed belly, eyes drifting over the places where cool air was beginning to make the hairs rise along his skin.  
"I don't think they go back up."  
Sodre whined.  
"Just do it!"  
Lucky shook his head.  
"No. I'm not going to hurt you." the wolfe said, firmly.

Lucky released the Layer's shirts gently and straightened back up. Sodre was looking up at him, stricken.  
"I didn't - did - is it - so it's just _gone_?"  
Kel'luknar threw a distinctly wolfish grin down at him.  
"Welcome to adulthood, RooRoo."  
Sodre punched him in the arm.  
"It's not funny!"  
Lucky laughed.  
"Is too! You finally dropped an egg." he raised a suggestive eyebrow at Sodre. "Who'd've thought you'd have your first time with me?"  
Sodre would have put his ears back and growled if he'd been able.  
"You wish, Barky."  
Lucky laughed again, but Sodre just sat down on a nearby flat rock and looked worried. The wolfe clucked at him, then came over and sat beside him.  
"Aw, come on, Roo, it's not that serious. You're not hurt. What's the matter?"

Sodre looked down at his hands, red from the snow and from his squeezing them into fists. He looked desperately up at Lucky.  
"My appa." Sodre shook his head. "He's going to be mad. I'm going to be in trouble." Sodre cast a sideways glance. "Especially because I was with you."  
Lucky grinned as if he were a little impressed with himself, and Sodre wondered how it was that the wolfe could take a sense of pride from something like that.  
"Well, he'll understand. It was an accident. It just happened. I didn't even touch you."  
Sodre rested his chin in his hands and sighed.  
"But my appa, he'll still think - " Sodre stopped speaking suddenly, and began wagging his tail fiercely. He looked up at Kel'luknar, putting on his best puppy dog eyes. "Lucky?"  
Kel'luknar took one look at Sodre and knew that this was nothing he wanted any parts of.  
"No. Whatever you're thinking, the answer is no."  
Sodre whined.  
"Lucky, please!"  
"What?!"  
"Hide me."  
"NO!"  
"Just for three days, or however long it takes the egg to regenerate!"  
"No!"  
"I don't want my dad to know!"  
"Then don't show him!"  
Sodre shook his head.  
"He'll know if he sees me. Please?"

It was then that Kel'luknar made the foolish mistake of actually looking at Sodre. He took in the adorable face, so helpless, upturned towards him; the bright eyes, damp with unshed tears; the full lip gently bitten, caught between the Layer's perfect little teeth...

"Well, what are you going to tell them when you get back?"  
Even as he said it, Lucky was annoyed with himself. It was as good as a commitment. Sodre knew this. His tail wagged faster.  
"I went hunting, got trapped by snow over at the Ridge again."  
Lucky frowned.  
"Won't your appa be mad about _that_?"  
Sodre shrugged carelessly and grinned.  
"Not so mad as he'd be if he knew you made me drop an egg."  
The deliberate way the Layer uttered that simple statement made Kel'luknar's ears turn pink and his cock thicken in his winter breeches. He ignored both and looked off into the distance.  
"This is stupid."  
Sodre shook his head, fidgeting with excitement.  
"No, it's not! It'll be just like an adventure! We can stay in the caves at the Secret Grove. Nobody'll find us there. And then - "  
"Whoa. Whoa." Lucky held up a hand to stop him. "We?"  
Sodre's face fell.  
"I can't stay by myself."  
Kel'luknar leaned back.  
"Well, I can't stay with you! The entire pack will be out looking for us by nightfall! And what will we say when they find us _denning_ together, of all things, and you without an egg?!"  
Sodre, seeing that he was losing support, tried to placate the wolfe.  
"OK. OK. The first night, we'll stay together and just tell them that we fell asleep at the Grove or something. In the morning, you'll go back and say I went on to the Ridge or something. Then you can just say you're going to go looking for me, and come back at night, and go home in the morning! It's perfect."

Perfect, except for the fact that it was four miles between here and home. Sodre looked happily up at Kelluk, and the wolfe sighed. Four miles wouldn't be so far, he supposed.

"Fine. Let's go catch something for dinner, then, since we're going to be staying out tonight."  
Sodre cheered, then remembered.  
"I'm too sore to hunt."  
Kel'luknar rolled his eyes.  
"Fine. You go to the cave at the Grove. I'm going to go raid the traps. I'll meet you there in an hour."  
Sodre whined again.  
"What if there's something in the caves when I get there?"  
Lucky narrowed his eyes.  
"It's the middle of our territory. There won't be anyone there. Maybe a raccoon."  
Sodre's eyes got big, and Kelluk sighed in disgust.  
"Fine. I'll go with you, then I'll go and raid the traps."  
Sodre smiled delightedly.  
"Thank you, Lucky!"  
Kel'luknar grunted.  
"Don't thank me yet. Thank me in three days."

Under his breath, Lucky added, _If I make it that long._


	2. Noseful

On the second night, the Layer met him at the cave entrance just before dusk, a worried look on his face.

"I thought you weren't coming!"  
Kel'luknar rolled his eyes.  
"Have I ever not come for you?"

Sodre furrowed his brow as he thought this over.  
"No. I guess not. Except for that one time, when Appa Kellan wouldn't let you leave the house, because you were punished, because you wet his new pile of furs."  
Kel'luknar felt his face heat, and put his ears back to cover it. Trust the Layer to remember something like that.  
"I had _just_ been learning to mark. It was unintentional."  
"My airu said you meant to."  
The wolfe narrowed his eyes.  
"Do you want to eat tonight, or not?"  
"Sorry! Eating! OK."

Sodre backed up a few steps and dashed inside of the cave, then scampered out a moment later with a pot. Kel'luk was busy building a small fire for them to cook on. The Layer came over to him, leaning over his shoulder to watch his work.

"So what'd ya bring me?" he demanded, his tail swishing noisily against his clothes. "Fliers?! Ground-runners? Things with horns?"  
Kel'luknar grunted and reached out to snag the bloody sack he'd carried along with him.  
"Fliers."  
"Oh."  
Sodre's face fell. The wolfe gave him a stern look.  
"Don't complain."  
Sodre looked abashed.  
"Sorry! I wasn't. It's just - I don't know, ever since the egg dropped, I feel weird. I feel like...hungry, but only for certain things."

Sodre sighed, shaking his head so that his shaggy hair fell into his eyes. The movement dispersed his scent, causing Kel'luknar to get a noseful of ripe Layer. His vision blurred, and Kel'luknar suddenly felt himself basking in sensation, feelings all merged together. He tasted sunlight on his tongue, and felt spices in his blood, and tingling happiness on his fingertips and then, sharply, he felt an awareness of the Layer and a driving arousal that smacked into him with the force of a thunderstorm. Then, just as suddenly as they had come, all the sensations were gone, and the young wolfe started and almost fell backwards.

"Layer!"  
Sodre jumped away from the shouting wolfe, looking back and forth at the ground distrustfully.  
"What?! What is it?! Snake?"  
Kel'luk frowned, then shook his head.  
"No, it - No. I don't know what it was." he shook his head again, trying to gain clarity or at least regain some of the headiness of that moment. "It was weird. It's gone now."  
Sodre frowned at his friend.  
"Are you OK?"  
Kel'luk nodded.  
"Yeah. I think so."  
Sodre looked him up and down cautiously.  
"Don't get sick, Barky. You know I can't carry you back to the pack."  
One corner of Lucky's mouth twisted up in a smile.  
"Don't worry. I'm sure I'm fine."  
"OK." Sodre replied, satisfied by the wolfe's assurance. "Then let's eat our fliers, then let's go to bed."


	3. Whoa

Lucky woke early the next morning. Having slept closer to the cave entrance, the morning sunlight struck his back first, warming it and bringing light into the cave. The smell of last night's fire filtered into his nose, chased by the sensation of something heavy and warm against his front. Lucky blinked his eyes and looked down at the Layer, who had snuggled up to him in the night and was now deep in sleep. Lucky stared for another moment, not wanting to wake the sleeping Sodre, but for some reason wanting to get himself closer. He dipped his head noiselessly and sniffed - the Layer smelled sweet, as he always had - sugary - but there was something else there, too. A woodsy scent, like the smell of the forest after rain. Lucky took another deep inhale, then shook himself to wakefulness, edged out of the Layer's grasp, undressed and shifted.

On four paws, he jogged outside for his morning ablutions, the cool morning air of the Irion rousing his hackles and chilling his tense muscles. Lucky sniffed first at the pot that held leftover water from last night, but it smelt as if someone had been in it during the night, and he decided he'd rather wash up in the creek. He turned, the north wind brushing through his fur, and took in the scents that blew down from the forest: green, and trees, and burnt wood, and animals - some in musk - and ripe fruit and flower, gray mist, and very distantly, snow. Good scents. Safe scents. Nothing to hurt his mate.

Whoa.

Lucky froze mid-step. Where had _that_ thought come from? He sat down and scratched behind his ear with his right leg, a thinking-habit he had. He tried to have the thought again, but it didn't reappear - at least not with the voracity of that first time. That first time, the thought had had teeth in it. Lucky frowned. Must be the forest. His appa had told him before that living in the forest was good - that it put you closer to your ancestors, closer to your wolfe. Our planet, he had told Kel'luknar, is almost all forest.

Maybe this was what these weird thoughts meant - they were the type of primal thoughts started showing up when you hung around in the forest for a while. It was only natural, Lucky eventually decided, and then proceeded not to think about it any more.

~:~

Gustin opened the door to his teenage son and took a surprised step back. Then his brows lowered and Kel'luknar braced himself for a scolding.  
"Lucky! Where in the hell have you been?! Your papa was just about to go looking for you! We were worried!"

Kel'luknar tilted his head and grinned in amusement at his human parent's usual reaction. His dad had a curious way of talking when he was scolding Lucky - quickly, and in a higher pitch than usual, scattering in his English with random Wolfish phrases and pastiche words he seemed to have stitched together from both, 'papa' being the most common one.

Lucky slapped his tail against the doorframe.  
"Sorry, badi. Wasn't far. Just out with Sodre. We fell asleep in a cave."  
Gustin still looked annoyed, but let this pass and stepped back to allow Lucky entrance to the house.

Lucky stepped inside and shook a leaf out of his hair. Gustin indignantly picked it up and threw it outside.  
"Well." his badi exhaled sharply, and a clump of long, curly brown hair freed itself from its binding and fell into his face. Gus frowned at it and smoothed it away. "So where's your little kicker, then? Adotre and Iorir are probably worried about him, too."

Lucky shrugged and did his best to look unconcerned as he wandered farther in, heading down the right-hand hallway that would lead to his parents' quarters. Halfway there, he stopped by a pot of cold stew that was on the side table and sniffed it delicately.  
"He's fine. Said he wanted to go on to the Ridge when I left him, then he'd circle back and come home."  
"Gone to the Ridge? Alone?"

The sound of his appa's voice made both of them turn. Kellan was standing farther down the hall, in the doorway to he and Gus's bedroom. He was clad in only a long sheet that was wrapped around his hips, and he chewed lazily on the cleaning stick in his mouth. The large wolfe crossed his arms over his chest, examining the younger wolfe with a challenging look. Kel'luknar suddenly felt the urge to change nip at his belly, a desire that burned at the base of his spine and through to his abdomen. His skin felt hot, and his throat seemed to have a growl forming in it.

"Yes, Appa."  
Kel'luknar's voice was just as challenging in response. His appa flicked one ear, just slightly, then seemed unconcerned.  
"You didn't go with him."  
"That's sort of what 'he went alone' implies, Appa."  
Lucky was almost taken aback with his own snappishness, and he hesitated for a moment, fearing punishment. Gus looked at him with some surprise, then over to his mate, who continued to look unperturbed. Kellan stuck his stick between his back teeth and grunted.  
"Layer's small. Could get hurt."  
"He's 19, Appa, and he's half wolfe. I'm sure he's fine."  
There it was again - the snarkiness that he couldn't seem to control. The space between his shoulders itched and he suddenly felt like saying something more. Thinking better of it, he just coughed and kicked at the ground instead. Kellan, looking his son over, grunted again.  
"Better to be sure."  
Lucky rolled his eyes.  
"OK, Appa."  
Kellan tilted his head and went back to chewing on the cleaning stick, moving to the other side of his mouth.  
"We pass the Ridge to hunt today. Can check his trail."

Lucky's animal wolfe surged then, more powerfully than he had ever felt it, and threw itself forward in his mind, pushing past the human half, pushing past the reasonable, thinking wolfe part. It stood, legs spread, teeth bared, facing down this other wolfe - this intruder, this interloper on his space and near his mate.

"NO!"  
Just as quickly as the beast had come, it was gone, and Lucky was left standing in front of two parents - one bewildered, one intrigued - feeling very embarrassed by his own reaction. He dipped his head and coughed to clear his throat.  
"No, I mean - it's fine. I can go look for him."  
Lucky glanced at his badi and looked away. He couldn't meet his appa's eyes directly, fearful of the challenge he had already inadvertently issued. He did, however, glance sidelong at the alpha wolfe, and saw that the look his father was giving him had changed from curious to assessing.  
Kellan grunted.  
Lucky's face burned. He took two steps backwards, back towards the main entry room.  
"I mean, I can go now. I can go look for him - he's probably not that far - it's just up the way, so - I mean, I'll be back later, for dinner, probably. Or maybe we can catch something. Yeah."  
Feeling hotheaded and silly and very very confused, Lucky did the best thing he could think of: turned tail, and ran.

Gus followed him halfway to the door.  
"Hey! Lucky! Hey! You don't want breakfast?!" he called after his son, but the form of the young wolfe was already disappearing across the plains towards the tree line.

From the doorway, Kellan grunted. Gus turned back to him, confusion scribbled all across his face.  
"What was that about?!" he demanded.  
Kellan tilted his head thoughtfully and took the stick out of his mouth, indicating the now-empty doorway and the carelessly open door through which Kel'luknar had disappeared. He grunted.  
"Son's in heat."


	4. Growly

"Heat?! He's in season?!" Gus was staring, scandalized, at his wolfe and shaking his head. "How?! When?? You're not worried??"  
Kuskellanar raised one bemused eyebrow at his mate.  
"Why would I be worried?"  
"Because! It's - " Gustin made a flustered gesture with his hand. "It's Lucky. He's too young! He's just a kid! A kid who will...want to...hump everything....that moves....and stuff." Gus trailed off and frowned. Kellan chewed on his chewing stick and watched him.  
"You still do not understand the season."  
Gus rolled his eyes.  
"Oh, I understand perfectly well, and you can shove that superior tone back where you got it from!"

Kellan couldn't keep himself from grinning at his mate's snappishness. He padded barefoot over the warmed wood floors towards Gustin and drew the smaller human into a tight embrace. Gus wriggled in his arms.  
"Stop that. Nobody asked to be hugged by you. Stop it! You let me go this instant, Kellan!"  
Kellan laughed, then grunted and squeezed his arms tighter. After a few minutes, Gustin calmed down.  
"Fine. You can hug me. But only because you smell good. You got lucky this time, wolfe."  
Kellan made a sound that expressed his relief and inhaled deeply against his mate's neck. Gustin practically melted, and Kellan pulled back.  
"I think his proximity has affected you."  
Gustin blinked at his wolfe.  
"What? Like how?"  
Kellan frowned pensively and took a step away, padding over to the other side of the room to think. He turned suddenly, and ran directly into Gustin, who made a soft "oof" sound, then stayed where he was, close to the wolfe.  
"You are following me."  
Gustin shrugged.  
"I just wanted to stand over here."  
Kellan looked him over appraisingly.  
"It has affected you."  
"What?!" Gus asked defensively. "Affected me how??"  
Kellan blinked at him and walked away, back towards the bedroom.  
Gustin gave an involuntary yelp and darted after him.  
"Wait!"  
Kellan obligingly paused in the doorway and let his mate slip past him into their bedroom, closing the door afterwards. 

Inside, Kellan released the drying cloth he'd been wearing, revealing his nakedness. He looked over at Gustin.  
"Strip. Get on the bed." Gustin hesitated, and Kellan deepened his voice. "Bed, Human."  
Gustin went, shedding clothes along the way, but threw a mutinous glare at Kellan over his shoulder as he did so.  
"Why do we have to - "  
" _Bed_ , Human." Kellan almost-growled, then added, more gently, "I will resolve this issue for you."

The wolfe followed Gus to their bed and coaxed the human into a supine position so that Kellan could settle between his thighs, his weight pressing Gustin down into the furs and blankets. The wolfe buried his nose in his mate's collarbone and inhaled deeply.  
"Your scent has fear in it."  
Gustin frowned and sniffed himself.  
"I'm not afraid."  
Kellan watched him, then grunted.  
"An unmated male, in his first season, was here. First season is young, dangerous. It frightened you."  
"He's my son!"  
Kellan shrugged again.  
"Body is frightened. Not mind."  
Kellan lifted himself, giving Gus room to maneuver again, then used two firm hands to flip him over.  
"I will show your body that you are safe. Hands and knees," he said against the side of Gustin's neck, then slapped his rump. "Quickly."

Gus looked over his shoulder skeptically and narrowed his eyes.  
"OK, the last time we did it this way - "  
"I have apologized for that!" the wolfe interrupted, slightly distressed. "One thousand times. It was an unexpected occurrence."  
"You just need to warn me if you're going to - "  
"I did not _intend_ to shift while inside you, human. I was...overwhelmed."  
"You were cumming your brains out, you mean."  
Kellan sighed theatrically.  
"Yes. And is that not a privilege I should expect to receive at any point today?"  
Gustin laughed.

"You've gotten more complacent in your old age, wolfie." he slid a teasing glance over at Kellan. "You used to just take what you wanted."  
Kellan growled and gripped Gustin's hips, yanking them upwards.  
"Still do, little one."

~:~

Sodre exited the cave to find Kel'luknar pacing around the fire in front of it.

"Lucky! You're back early! Did you bring food?"  
Kel'luknar paused and shot Sodre a withering glare.  
"You know, I'm not just your dinner provider, Roo - I don't have to always bring food for you! That's your airu's job, and maybe your badi's job. And furthermore, I already fed you this morning. So if you're so hungry all the time, maybe you should take it up with Alpha Iorir, and not me." he snapped, then went back to pacing.

The Layer sucked in a breath and furrowed his brow.  
"O...kay." his tail, which had been wagging wildly earlier, slowed to a cautious near-stillness and tucked between his legs. "I'm sorry, Lucky, I just meant that I think you are a good hunter, that's all." he said, quietly. "Don't be mad at me."

Kel'luknar grunted and continued to pace. Sodre stood where he was, unsure how to proceed.

"I just, um - why are you back so early, then?" he asked, still deferential.  
The young wolfe shrugged.  
"Said I was going looking for you. That was the plan, wasn't it?" his voice had an angry, mocking edge to it that made Sodre take another step backwards.  
"Yeah, I guess."  
Kel'luk whipped around to glare at the retreating Layer.  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
Sodre took another involuntary step away, his eyes widening.  
"Nowhere."  
Lucky growled.  
"Good. Now, come sit down. I brought rabbits for lunch."

~:~

"So you're really not worried about him?"

Kuskellanar sighed and rolled over in bed to look his mate in the face.  
"Kel'luknar is a wolfe of 19. He is of an expected age for his first season."  
"But he doesn't even know what's happening!"  
Kuskellanar shook his head.  
"He will, eventually. I have prepared him for this time. He understands."

Gus bit his lip and frowned.  
"But should we really just leave him running around in the forest like that? Alone? He's not thinking straight! It's dangerous! What if he meets a bear?"  
Kuskellanar cast a bewildered look over at his mate.  
"He is a wolfe, Gustin. The forest is his home. He will be fine."  
"Bears are _very_ dangerous, Kellan."  
The strain of having this faintly ridiculous conversation began to show on Kellan's face.  
"He will not meet a bear."

Gus sighed and rolled onto his back.  
"Well, what about Sodre? Should we just leave him alone with the little Layer? Isn't that dangerous for him?"  
Kuskellanar blinked at his beta.  
"They are young. Sodre will enjoy a vigorous mating. And he is too young to be bred - he has not dropped his first egg yet."  
Gustin sighed.  
"I guess."  
Kellan frowned.  
"What are you afraid of, Gustin?"

Gus shook his head.  
"I don't know. It's just that Lucky and Sodre have a knack for finding trouble where none was before. I'm just worried, that's all. Call it human intuition."  
Kellan smiled and nestled his nose into the crook of Gustin's neck.  
"He will be fine, mate. The moon will look after our son. These things are the things of nature. Moon's law. She will see that everything goes according to her plan."

~:~

"Come'n." Sodre pushed his muzzle up against the wolfe's side. "Lessgo forarun. You feelbetter'f yourun."  
Kelluk grunted, and Sodre sighed and rested his nose in the crook of his friend's arm. "Come'n, Lucky, pleeeese?"

Kel'luknar resolved to stay firm in his sulking, but made the tactical error of actually looking down at the Layer. One glimpse of pleading hazel eyes and he was lost. He swallowed to disguise his loss of breath and turned away.

"Fine. If it'll make you stop bothering me."  
Sodre yelped and wagged his tail wildly.  
"OKgood, lessgo!"

He took off at a slow jog towards the meadows on the other side of their cave, and Lucky watched him for a minute, shook the unwelcome thoughts out of his head, and began to strip for his change.

A bark from ahead urged him to hurry up, and naked, he shifted and took off at a breakneck speed towards the Layer.

He was going to sideswipe him, then pass him and keep going to beat him to the meadow. Sodre was fast, but it would take him a minute to recover from being knocked down, and Lucky would have the advantage.

Kel'luknar gained quickly on the Layer, pounding footfull of cold ground after cold ground until the little brown tail loomed close before his eyes.  
Sodre, hearing his approach, glanced over his shoulder, realized the game, and began to speed up. Now or never. If the Layer really got going, Lucky would never catch him.

The young wolfe put on one last burst of speed and crashed full force into the Layer's side. Sodre yelped, and went down, tangling two legs between Lucky's own. With a cry, Lucky went down as well, and they found themselves wrangling each other down through the frozen dew.  
"Lemmeup!" the Layer yelped, and Lucky growled.  
"Trying!"  
Kel'lluknar tried to get his feet back under him, but lost the plot when his nose hit the back of the Layer's neck and he was immediately transported.

There was Sodre, smelling warm and sweet, and tasting of cloves and sweet water and pine cones and summer grass and the thrill he felt diving into a cold lake and feeling like the cored-down essence of desire. The urge to be with the Layer, to mate him, to _breed_ him was overwhelming suddenly, and Lucky wondered what would happen if he just kissed Roo, if he just dipped his head down for one quick touch of mouth to skin - would it be so bad? Not bad at all - great. Wonderful. Natural. And would the Layer agree? Why wouldn't he? 

The wolfe shook himself and he was back on the cold ground, tangled above Adotre.

What was this? And why was it getting stronger?

Frustrated, he snarled, flipped Sodre onto his back, and pinned him down.  
"Stop it! Stop whatever you're doing that's making this happen! Cut it out!"  
Sodre laid still and blinked big, bright, terrified eyes up at the wolfe above him.  
"Imsorry, airu, Imnot - "  
Lucky startled backwards and Sodre snapped his mouth shut, surprised by his own slip of words. The wolfe recovered first, and shifted human again, shaking the Layer by his fur.  
"STOP IT!"  
Sodre shifted too, and Lucky could see that his bare skin was flushed red.  
"I'm not doing anything! Honest, Lucky, please!"  
The wolfe growled and released the Layer, who fell back into the cold grass. Sodre heaved a confused breath.  
"Lucky, what's wrong?"

Kel'luknar was sitting with his back to the Layer now, resting his elbows on his knees.  
"I don't know. Things are weird. You smell weird."  
Sodre hesitated.  
"I smell weird?"  
The wolfe glanced back over his shoulder.  
"Not bad. Good. You smell good."  
Sodre preened a little and edged closer to the wolfe.  
"How good?"  
"Roo...."  
"Sorry. Is that bad? That I smell good?"  
Lucky shook his head.  
"It's...too good. I think it's the egg. I think it's making me want to...mate you."  
Sodre raised an eyebrow and grinned a presumptuous grin.  
"Well, a hard-on's no reason to go all growly on me."  
Lucky cast a scathing look over his shoulder.  
"It's more than that." he looked back out at the glen. "I fear the situation is becoming untenable."  
Sodre frowned.  
"Un-what?"  
"Impossible to manage. The smell is getting stronger. Your smell. I can't ignore it if this keeps up."  
Sodre quieted.  
"Oh." After a few minutes: "Well, maybe we could just do something about it."

Lucky's back straightened and the Layer felt his stomach thud. This was the moment, they both knew suddenly, for rejection or acceptance.  
Lucky swallowed, a visible struggle. Eventually, he said:  
"Not while you have the egg down. It's not safe."  
Sodre swallowed his protest.  
"OK, ai - "  
Lucky snapped around to look over his shoulder.  
"Sodre?"  
"I don't know." the Layer had one hand clasped over his mouth and a look of worry on his face. "I don't know why I keep saying that."  
Lucky frowned.  
"Are you sure you're not making the scent on purpose? I don't remember your badi smelling like this, ever."

Sodre shrugged.  
"If I am, I don't know how to turn it off."

Lucky exhaled and ran his hand through his hair.  
"I don't want to stay here if things are going to keep getting...weird. Has the egg at least started to regenerate yet? Has the remainder come out?"  
Sodre made a face of disgust and looked down at himself.  
"No, nothing's happened."  
This made Lucky turn almost completely around, revealing his still half-hard cock to Sodre.  
"Why not?" he asked slowly. The Layer shrugged desperately.  
"I don't know."


	5. Upside Down

On the morning of the fourth day, Kel'luknar was woken abruptly by a shouting Layer.  
"Lucky! Lucky! LUUUUCKYYYY! Lucky, wake up!"  
Hands fiercely shook the young wolfe, followed by a short lick to the face. 

Begrudgingly, Kel'luknar rolled over and blinked sleepy eyes at the Layer. The sun coming in from the entrance to the cave illuminated wisps of Sodre's curly chestnut hair, lighting it up like a halo around his head. Lucky was tempted, briefly, to reach out and touch the little half-wolfe, to draw him close and press his nose into that hair, to lay his scent down over that lithe body. Instead, he grunted and pointedly refused to wake up.  
"What is it, RooRoo?"

A soft sepia tail slapped gently against Lucky's bare human thigh, tickling the skin pleasantly. Tendrils of a sweet scent spilled across from Sodre's direction, and the wolfe pulled away a little.  
"Outside! Come look!" Sodre dashed to the brightly lit mouth of the cave, then back to the makeshift bed of hay, furs, and leaf litter, then back to the cave mouth. "Lucky! Come look! Footprints!"  
This woke Kel'luknar up entirely. He leapt to his feet.  
"Footprints? Whose? Roo, get back from the door! Come here!"  
the Layer obeyed, but with barely restrained excitement.   
"I don't know whose! But there's just one set, so nothing scary."  
Kel'luknar glanced skeptically at the Layer as he braided his dark hair back from his face.  
"Just one set can be scary, if you don't know who it belongs to." the wolfe's eyes narrowed. "Stay here. I'm going to go investigate."

Sodre sighed dramatically, but plunked himself down onto the ground by their bed. When Lucky went to move past him, however, he gasped, pointed, and giggled.  
"Hey! You sleep without a tail on!"  
Kel'luknar frowned and lifted a hand to check his rear. True enough, he had faded into a full shift in his sleep, and his thick black wolfish tail was gone. He glared indignantly at Sodre.  
"I don't always. It just happens sometimes." he frowned. "I cannot control my sleep, Sodre."  
The Layer squealed in delight.  
"You look like your badi!"

As any wolfe of 19 would, Kel'luknar took full offense to that, and stalked irritably out of the cave, purposely not shifting his tail back out again.

A few minutes later, the wolfe returned, shaking his head.  
"Don't know who it was. Not our pack - probably not even a wolfe. No markings anywhere. Maybe humans? But didn't smell like humans. Didn't smell like Louts either." Lucky paced into the center of the cave and frowned. "Don't know who it was."  
Sodre shrugged and beat his tail against the floor.  
"Well, we just need more clues! Whoever it was, they're gone now, if you didn't smell them. So we can both investigate!"  
The Layer got to his feet and made to dash past the wolfe; Kel'luknar stopped him with one arm, then dropped him just as suddenly.  
"Ac'thal!"  
Sodre paled and jerked away.  
"What?"  
Lucky shook his head, then squeezed his eyes shut and opened them several times.  
"OK." he said, recovering. "Time to go home."  
"What was it?!" Sodre demanded, worried. Lucky squeezed the bridge of his nose.  
"The smell again. Your smell. Stronger." he looked up at the Layer. "You have to go. Come on. Let's get you home. Three days are up. We're leaving."

Kel'luknar turned to collect the supplies they'd brought, but Sodre stayed in place and tucked his tail beneath his thigh.  
"I can't go, Lucky." he said, quietly. The wolfe turned back to face him.  
"Why not?" Kel'luknar asked, cautiously.   
Sodre exhaled, scrunched his brows together, and lifted his shirt to reveal his torso to Kel'luknar.   
"Egg still hasn't regenerated yet." he tried to meet the wolfe's eyes, but Lucky seemed to be transfixed by the swath of tan skin that was exposed before him. Eventually, he shook himself out of it.

"Don't care, Layer. You have to go back."  
Sodre looked desperately up at Kel'luknar.  
"No, please! My badi will be mad! I'll get in trouble! _You'll_ get in trouble!"  
Lucky shook his head.  
"We'll get in more trouble if you stay here. Believe me. You have to go."  
The Layer whined wildly.  
"Lucky, why?!"

Kel'luknar, fed up with Sodre's protesting antics, turned and lunged at the smaller youth, knocking him backwards onto the ground.  
" _Because_ , Sodre," he snapped, "I think this is my heat."

Kelluk just let those words sink in for the Layer for a few seconds before he backed off and let the younger one up. Sodre looked surprised, and his glossy brown curls were mussed.  
"OK." he said, quietly. "So I have to go home."  
Lucky nodded.  
"So you have to go home."  
The Layer sniffed.  
"OK. Fine. Will you go back with me?"  
Kel'luknar, suddenly feeling bad for the harsh display, reached out and squeezed the Layer's hand.  
"Of course I will go back with you. You think I'd let you travel alone? You get into enough trouble as it is."  
Sodre forced a smile.  
"OK. Then maybe I guess we're going home now?"  
Lucky nodded.  
"I think that would be best."  
Sodre bit his lip.  
"OK. OK. I'll help get the rest of the stuff, I guess." he glanced towards the cave mouth. "I gotta go out first, though."  
Lucky grunted.  
"I'll be here."  
Sodre nodded.  
"OK. I'll be right back."

The next sound that Kel'luknar heard was the Layer's scream echoing through the trees. He ran outside without shifting, panicked, heart pounding, just in time to see the Layer being dragged, unconscious, into the center of the clearing, a dart protruding from his thigh. Kel'luknar counted six humanoid forms, but before he could shift, move, or so much as growl, the wolfe felt a pinprick at the back of his neck, and the world turned upside down and went out.


End file.
